


Walk Me Home

by GingerLove



Category: Supernatural RPF
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-03-01
Updated: 2019-04-15
Packaged: 2019-11-07 12:08:18
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 14
Words: 16,488
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17960213
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/GingerLove/pseuds/GingerLove
Summary: Anna's buddies are in town for a convention, and not happy that she keeps cancelling plans with them. What happens when Rob decides he's tired of waiting for her to come to them?(Also, don't kill me. I'm setting this in a world where Rob is divorced from Marnie. But not KoC world, because I need R2M!!!)





	1. Chapter 1

  Anna kicked her shoes off, dropping her keys on the table by the door. She looked at the clock on the wall and sighed. Yep, her plans for tonight were definitely cancelled. Picking up her phone, she shot Rob a quick text that she wouldn’t make it.  She quietly cursed the computer at the shop for the hundredth time that day.

 

  A quick look in the hall mirror confirmed that she looked as frazzled as she felt. Her already unruly red hair was in peak form today, the epitome of the messy bun perched on her head, with random strands breaking free all over. Not even the bright blue of her glasses could distract from the shadows beneath her eyes. Though they still made the green of the irises pop a bit. Continuing to her room, she wondered again why she’d gone with such a bold color.

 

   She’d just slipped her jeans off when her phone lit up. Skype call… and Rob’s face. Apparently he wasn’t happy with the change of plans. She settled on the bed, accepting the call with a sigh.

 

“You can’t make it… again?” that perfect puppy dog face was almost enough to make her reconsider. “I’m starting to think you’re avoiding me Anna Lee Barton.”

 

“Oh, we’re using full names now?” she smirked. “Well hello, Robert Patrick Benedict. I’m fine, thank you for asking. How are you?”

 

  He rolled his eyes, but gave her a grin.

 

“I’m very upset. You see, one of my best friends has cancelled dinner with me two nights in a row now. And my other friends are starting to wonder if she really exists, or if she’s just some AI chat bot in my phone.”

 

  Anna laughed, leaning back and getting annoyed when her hair prevented her from relaxing against the headboard. Taking her turn to roll her eyes, she shifted on the bed.

 

“If your fantasy bot looks like this, you’re paying too much, Robby.” She pulled the scrunchie from her hair and shook it loose, leaning back again with a relieved sigh.

 

“I don’t know, she looks pretty damn perfect to me.”

 

  Before she could reply, the phone shifted and Rich’s face popped into the frame, nearly shoving Rob out of view.

 

“Bobbo! Whatcha doin?” he grinned into the camera. “Hey Anna! Ooooh… she’s in bed. And blushing! What am I interrupting? Can I join?”

 

  She laughed at the ridiculous eyebrow wiggle as Rob shoved him away. He shot an apologetic look at the camera before Rich popped into the frame again, resting his chin on Rob’s shoulder and causing another eye roll.

 

“Seriously though, doll… shouldn’t you be on the road?” Rich raised a brow. “Dinner is in like an hour, and it’s going to take you at least that long to drive here.”

 

“She’s not coming.” Rob sighed.

 

“Then you’re doing it wrong, Rob.” Rich smirked as she and Rob groaned in unison. “I’ll show you a few tricks when she gets here. Which she is going to do. Come on! If not for dinner, then for Karaoke tonight?”

 

“Sorry boys. It has been a crappy week. Jimmy just got a new computer system at the shop, and you know _he_ wasn’t going to set it all up.” She sighed. “I just got home, and I am exhaust- Aww, come on. You can’t _both_ pout like that!”

 

“We haven’t seen you since… Nashville last year.” Rob whined.

 

“You’re seeing me right now.” She rolled her eyes. “We Skype at least twice a week, and talk or text almost every day!”

 

“Not the same.” He huffed.

 

“What Robby means, is that he can’t grope you through the pho- Ow!” a hand smacked Rich in the back of the head, and Norton’s face took over the frame.

 

“Thanks Stevie!” she grinned at his scowl.

 

“You know you only get to call me that because you’re not physically here, right?” he grinned. “Which is supposed to be changing soon… isn’t it?”

 

  She heard Rob and Rich explaining behind him, as they tried to shove him out of the way. He narrowed his eyes, frowning at the camera.

 

“You know, if you don’t like us, all you have to do is say so…” he winked. “Or are you just scared you won’t be able to restrain yourself from jumping Billy any longer? Billy! Borja! Come say hi to Anna!!!”

 

  There was a brief struggle as she assumed Norton wrestled Rob’s phone away from him. He kept himself in frame as he spun around to show the rest of the band, sitting on a couch nearby. They both waved and called out greetings. The camera suddenly went up, and she laughed as she saw Rob trying to jump and grab it, Norton’s hand firmly on his chest. The struggle continued for a few minutes, leaving her dizzy as Norton ran around the green room, randomly stopping to let a few of the actors greet her.

 

  She’d met most of them via Skype in the green room, and a few in person when Rob couldn’t get away from the convention for long. Whenever they were working near each other, Rob insisted they at least meet for a meal. It usually ended up being her, the band and Rich. And always resulted in her and Rob battling over who would pay the bill. Almost 2 years since he and Rich had waited out a tornado in her basement in Tennessee, and still he refused to acknowledge his debt had been repaid.

 

  When she’d moved back to Illinois, he’d jokingly offered to pay the extra cost if she made sure her house had a basement for him to crash in. He would never admit it, but she was also positive he was at least half responsible for the beautiful wooden bench that had arrived on her doorstep just days after she moved in. The seat lifted to reveal a storage compartment that was filled with new towels. Towels that happened to be the same color as the ones that had been ruined by mud in Tennessee.

 

  Finally, Rob came back into frame, looking like he’d just ran a marathon.

 

“Sorry.” He panted, falling onto a couch. “He is such a- Did you just screen shot me?”

 

“Maaaaaaybe?” Anna smiled innocently, her cheeks flushing. “I’m a photographer, Benedict. I can’t help it if I see a perfect shot, and have to take it! Promise not to sell it, even though it would likely pay off my car… and my mortgage.”

 

  It was his turn to blush and roll his eyes as he caught his breath. He looked up at someone off camera and nodded, frowning again as he looked back to the camera.

 

“I’ve gotta hit the stage in five. You’re absolutely positive a nap won’t give you a second wind to get here later?” Those eyes almost swayed her.

 

“Sorry Robby. Not tonight. Even if I got there, I would be too dead to drive home”

 

“You know you can always crash here.”

 

“And risk cramping that rock star lifestyle? What if you find a hot groupie to take back to your room tonight?” She shook her head, stopping him before he could respond. “See? Too tired and cranky. When do you leave town?”

 

“I fly out late Monday morning.” He replied, his tone hopeful. “I might be able to change it though…”

 

“Nope, not letting you do that, Rob.” She yawned, running a hand through her hair. “I will make it to the city before you leave. Promise.”

 

   His answer was cut off by a groan as someone fell on top of him. Matt’s face popped into view as he rested his cheek against Rob’s and smiled.

 

“Hey Anna.”

 

“Hey there Matt.” She grinned at him.

 

“Rob, Rich says it’s time to hang up on wifey. Your handler is glaring at us.” He grinned. “So is Rich. I think he’s jealous!”

 

“He has been awfully concerned with Rob’s love life recently...” Anna snickered. “Robby, go, have fun tonight. Call me tomorrow when you have down time.”

 

“Get some rest. We’ll talk soon.” He sighed as Rich joined Matt in the pile on top of him. “Save me?”

 

  Anna simply laughed, shaking her head, and blowing all of them a kiss before she ended the call. Her stomach grumbled, reminding her that she had skipped lunch. She changed into one of her oversize t-shirts and mumbled to the empty house.

 

“Leftovers and Netflix, it is.”


	2. Call on me

She wasn’t sure how long she had been out when her phone rang, but her movie was over. She fumbled with answering, her eyes only half open as she put the phone up to her ear.

“Y’ello?” she cringed at the sound of her voice, clearing her throat.

“As beautiful as your ear is, I didn’t Skype you just to see that.” Rob chuckled as she moved the phone in front of her. “Oh, shit! Did I wake you? I’m sorry!”

“It’s fine Robby.” Anna smoothed her hair, resting her head on one of the throw pillows. “What’s up?”

“Nothing. Just hanging out before karaoke…” He looked around uncertainly, and she could tell he had been drinking to calm his nerves already. “I’m sorry. I should let you sleep.”

“I miss you too, Robby.” She smiled softly. “And don’t ever be sorry for calling me.”

He gave her a sheepish grin, then looked away from the phone.

“Um, I’ve gotta go, you know… perform and all that. I just wanted to check in. I’ll call you tomorrow.”

“M’kay. I am going to go climb in my big comfy bed.” She yawned, grinning at his pout. “Have fun rocking Chicago, Robby.”

She blew him a kiss, and he made the motion of catching it with a playful grin before he hung up. Trying to convince herself that lack of sleep was causing her pulse to rise, she headed towards the bedroom.


	3. Where's Robby?

The phone jolted her from her dreams. She fumbled for it, barely able to slide the green circle as she pulled it to her ear.

“’Lo?” she yawned, squinting to try and read her alarm on the dresser.

“Anna?” Rich’s panicked voice made her sit up. “Have you heard from Rob?”

“Umm… no, not since karaoke started.” She reached for her glasses and shoved the blankets back while Rich cursed. “What’s wrong?”

“We were all hanging out drinking after the show, and he’s gone. No one has seen him for a couple hours.” Her heart sank as he cursed again. “I thought he went to his room to pass out, but he’s not here. He’s not answering his phone. I thought maybe…”

“Rich.” She switched into big sister mode. “Take a breath. Let me get dressed and I’ll call you back. I can be there in a little over an hour. Less if there aren’t any cops out.”

“You don’t have to do that, Anna. It’s really late, and I shouldn’t have wo-“

“Rich.” She winced at the sharpness of her voice, softening her tone as she continued. “Robby is missing. I’m not going to sleep until I know he’s safe. So, I may as well be there helping you. Otherwise I’ll just be sitting here pacing a hole in the floor. Give me a-“

Headlights moved across the wall of her bedroom, and her breath caught.

“Someone just pulled in my drive.” She stood quickly, moving to the window. “He wouldn’t…”

“Keep me on the phone, Anna.” His tone was firm enough that she had to remind herself he couldn’t hear her nod.

“Got it, Rich.” She moved quickly through the house, turning on the lamp by the couch just as someone knocked. 

Putting the phone between her ear and her shoulder, she reached for the door, her other hand resting on the baseball bat that hung next to it. She opened the door to a very apologetic looking young man, holding up an obviously unstable bundle of rumpled clothes and curly hair. When the lump lifted its head to reveal blue eyes, she gasped. 

“Robby!” she reached for him instinctively as Rich breathed a sigh of relief.

“See, Mikey?” Rob grinned as he fell into her arms. “Told ya she’d be happy to see me!”

Mikey rolled his eyes, holding onto Rob’s sides for a moment longer as he looked to Anna.

“You got him?” he raised a brow as Rob inhaled deeply.

“You always smell so good.” Rob murmured against her neck and she couldn’t help the flush that crept up her skin.

“I’ve got 3 brothers who are twice his size, and love whiskey.” She smirked. “I’m good. What about you? Does he owe for the ride?”

The man shook his head, grinning as Rob nuzzled against her neck, taking the tilt of her head as an invitation. She struggled to keep her face passive, like there wasn’t a man murmuring how much he’d missed her against her skin. His breath and his beard were leaving goosebumps in their wake. His hands found her hips, and she cleared her throat as Mikey grinned.

“No ma’am. Uber.” He chuckled. “Are you sure you’re good?”

“I’m fine.” Anna shifted Rob so he was braced between her and the door frame for a moment, trying to get a better grip. “I’m just going to drag him to the couch and let him sleep it off.”

“Don’ wanna sleep.” Rob muttered, brushing his lips across her collar bone. “Missed you.”

The driver was barely containing his amusement as he backed towards the stairs.

“I’ll leave you and Casanova to it then…” he smirked, mumbling something about whiskey dick as he jogged back to his car.

“Casanova?” Rich chirped impatiently from her other shoulder, startling her. “What’s going on over there?”

“Hang on Rich.” She muttered, pulling Rob into the house and closing the door. “Let me get him to the couch.”

“Rich?” Rob squeaked out, looking around in confusion.

“Yes. Rich. Here.” She handed him the phone so she could support him better as they stumbled across the room. 

“I fucked up, Rich!” he sighed into the phone. “I kissed her, Rich. Now she’s mad at me! I just needed to see her, Rich. Just wanted to touch her. Fucked up, Rich…. I did it wrong. Why do I always do it wrong?”

She settled him onto the couch, rolling her eyes at the muffled laughter coming from her phone. Rob scowled, dropping the offending object onto the cushions. Anna took the opportunity to grab it and hit the speaker button before sitting on the coffee table and leaning down to untie his shoes.

“Bobbo, you scared the hell out of me.” Rich chuckled. “Next time, tell me you want to get laid, and I will help you come up with a better plan.”

“Rich!” Rob huffed. “This isn’t about sex!”

Rich laughed again as Anna pulled off the second shoe and straightened to ease the jacket off his shoulders. His scowl softened as she leaned in to him, he tilted his face up to hers, allowing the material to slide down his arms. His brow furrowed in confusion when she pushed him back into the sofa and walked away with the shoes and jacket.

“I fucked up, Rich!” he covered his face with his hands, hunching over.

“Rich?” She called over her shoulder as she hung the jacket up.

“I can be there in an hour, Annie.” Rich chuckled.

“No.” she and Rob replied in unison, one sounding slightly more frantic than the other. She smiled softly at the hopeful look on Rob’s face.

“It’s late. We all need to rest.” She moved back to sit on the arm of the couch. “He can sleep it off here. What time do you need him tomorrow?”

“I can handle everything, as long as you can have him in the green room, ready to walk on stage by ten.” 

“Make it nine thirty, and meet us there with a change of clothes for him.” She tugged awkwardly at the hem of her t-shirt as she realized she was only wearing it and her underwear. “My clothing is neutral enough, but he’d swim in it.”

“I can do that.” Rich hesitated.

“We’ll be fine, Rich.” Anna grinned, reaching out to tousle Rob’s hair a bit. “Robby just needs to rest up. I’ll feed him, hose him down and if he still wants to talk when he’s sober, we’ll sort it out on the way back to Rosemont.”

Rob opened his mouth to protest, but she shook her head, leaning down to pick up the phone.

“You are an angel.” Rich breathed out, sounding as exhausted as she was.

“Yeah yeah yeah.” She chuckled. “Just remember I like good whiskey when my birthday rolls around.”

“Anything you want, doll. Rob, listen to the pretty lady tonight. Don’t do anything I wouldn’t do!” She could hear Rich grinning through the phone. “I’ll see you in the morning.”

“Bye Rich.” Rob sighed. “Sorry for scaring you.”

“I’m just glad you’re okay Bobbo. See you both tomorrow.”

“Night, Rich.” She ended the call and looked Rob over with a frown. “How are you feeling? Hungry? Think you can walk down the hall to one of the beds? I’ll leave some water and aspirin on the nightstand…”

She started to stand, but his hand on her knee stopped her. He immediately pulled it back like he’d been burned and held both hands up.

“Sorry! I’m sorry… I wasn’t trying-“

“Robby.” She sighed, sliding down next to him. “I know you aren’t going to attack me. If you just wanted to jump my bones, you’ve had plenty of chances over the past two years.”

She looked him over for a moment. The sad blue eyes, searching hers for anything that told him he was right. The way he worried his bottom lip between his teeth. She wanted to pull him close and hold him until Robert was gone and her Robby returned. Instead, she let her hand rest on his cheek for a moment.

“You are drunk right now, and I don’t want you to say or do anything you’re going to regret in the morning. Let’s just go to bed. After you’ve sobered up, we’ll talk about anything you want.” She forced her gaze to drop to his chest.

He leaned back, closing his eyes and letting out a long breath.

“I really fucked this up, didn’t I?”

“Not one of your better plans, Benedict.” She grinned, letting her hand drop to give his a squeeze. “But it’s nothing we can’t sort out later. But first, sleep.”

She helped him to his feet, leading him to the bathroom and then going to get the promised water and aspirin. Back in her bedroom, she pulled another of her t-shirts out of the closet and turned to see him leaned in her doorway, watching her.

“I was just finding you something to sleep in.” she grinned. “No offense, but that shirt smells like the stage in a dive bar. Give me just a second to find some bottoms, then I’ll show you where the guest room is.”

She nodded to the chair in the corner and turned to the dresser. She dug around for the sleep pants that she kept on hand for cool mornings, or when she had company. Grabbing a second pair for herself as an afterthought she stood, unable to hide the sharp intake of breath when she turned. Rob sat on her bed, wearing only his jeans. 

“Robby…”

“I’ve been surrounded by people all day. But I was so damn lonely… I just needed to be near you.” He looked up at her with pleading eyes. “Please, just let me stay here? Nothing else. Just lying next to you… please.”

Wordlessly, she handed him the pajamas and grabbed the water and aspirin from the dresser. His sigh of relief when she set them on the nightstand nearest him nearly broke her heart. She moved to the other side of the bed and settled in. Staring at the ceiling, she tried not to think about the fact that Rob Benedict was taking off his jeans next to her bed. 

She felt the mattress dip under his weight and bit her lip as he settled in. Unsure of what to do, she just laid there, stiff as a board. After a few minutes of uncomfortable silence, he sighed.

“I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have...” She felt him shifting away from her, so she reached out and caught his arm. His legs were already swung over the edge of the bed when she looked to him.

“Stay.” She gave him a small smile. “Please.”

She settled on her side, facing him, and tried not to notice that he was only wearing his underwear. His eyes searched hers for any hesitation as he laid back down.

“I don’t really do pajamas.” He shrugged. 

“Same. The t-shirt is mostly because I never know when someone is going to pop in here.” She smiled, reaching out to rest her hand on his face. “You look tired.”

“Been a long day.” He murmured, his eyes drifting closed. “I really am sorry.”

“Shh.” She let her hand fall to the mattress between them, half rolling over to turn off the lamp. “Just sleep, Robby. We’ll talk about it in the morning. Oh, and Robby?”

“Hmm?”

“Next time you want to see me… just call.” She chuckled softly, squeezing his hand when he reached out to grab hers.

“Not the same.” He mumbled, pulling her hand up to his lips, then holding it close to his chest. “Night.”

“Good night.” She lay there in the dark, listening to his breathing as he drifted off, wondering how much of this he would remember when he woke. She was still wondering when sleep overtook her.


	4. Good Morning

The sun had just begun to peek through the curtains when she woke. She watched him sleep, smiling softly at how peaceful he looked. It was rare to see him so still. Usually when she was with him he was in con mode. Excitement and anxiety radiating off him so strongly, she often found herself nearly bouncing from it. Now, the only thing radiating from him was heat, and she decided he was probably nice to have around in the winter.

At some point, they both had moved, and she found herself wondering how to disentangle their limbs without waking him. She managed to move her feet with little trouble, but when she started to slide away, the arm around her waist pulled her back flush against his chest. The crease in his brow, and the sound of protest that rumbled out of him, might have been adorable if she weren’t trying to get free without this becoming awkward.

All hopes of that were dashed when his eyes cracked open.

“S’wrong?” he muttered, his voice thick with sleep, and she wanted to melt at the sound.

“Nothing is wrong. I need to get up, wash your clothes and make breakfast.” She hoped he wasn’t awake enough to notice how flushed she was. “I’ll wake you in a bit so you can hop in the shower. How are you feeling?”

“Tired. Too early.” He huffed, closing his eyes again. “Sun’s not up, why are we?”

“Because someone has a convention to run today.” She chuckled, gently shoving his shoulder. “And I promised to deliver you, on time.”

She tried to pull away again, and was surprised at how easily he held her without appearing to put any real effort into it. She rolled her eyes, barely resisting the urge to simply give in and watch him sleep.

“Robby.” She chided. “Come on. You don’t want to disappoint all those fans, do you?”

He scowled, cracking one eye open, grumbling under his breath.

“Five minutes won’t kill them.”

Anna laughed, reaching up to tousle his hair. He yawned, giving her a sleepy grin.

“Come on… you’ll feel better with food and coffee, promise!” she studied his face for a moment, biting her lip as she realized how intimate the whole thing was.

“Nope.” He muttered, releasing her. He raised a hand to brush along her cheek. “No overthinking.”

He pressed a kiss to her forehead and sighed, reluctantly pulling away. She could feel his eyes on her as she walked around the bed and gathered his clothes. Silently, she cursed whomever had decided to make him so damn adorable first thing in the morning, and prayed that coffee would give her strength.


	5. 20 questions

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The song that this fic is named after, and that is being sung here is by Pink. You can listen to it here:
> 
> https://youtu.be/LQMBlFSu2QU
> 
> Originally, Bobby McGee was going to be Anna's jam, but then I heard this song, and everything got flipped. I hope you enjoy it!

  She was stirring the scrambled eggs, and doing her best Janis Joplin when her phone chimed with a text from Rich.

 

_How’s Romeo?_

_Alive. We’ll see how he feels when he gets out of the shower._

_When is the wedding?_

_Should we do the baby shower first?_

_Or is that too tacky?_

_Screw you, Speight._

_Didn’t get enough from Bobbo last night?_

_Damn, he must have been really wasted._

_Get out of the gutter, Dick. Nothing happened._

_Really???_

_NOTHING??_

_Not even some heavy petting??_

_Are we 15? No, he didn’t round any bases last night._

_For the love of Chuck. You two are impossible._

 

  She rolled her eyes, focusing on the chorus of Bobby McGee and scooping the eggs onto two plates. She turned to the toaster and gave a startled cry when she saw Rob leaning in the doorway. His hair was still damp from the shower, and he was wearing just the sleep pants she’d left on the bed for him. She was sure she’d left a shirt with them, but she wasn’t going to complain too much.

 

“Scared the hell out of me, Robby. I didn’t hear the shower cut off.” She cleared her throat when she realized she was staring, and returned her attention to the bread. “Tossed your stuff in the wash. Should have plenty of time to dry it before we hit the road. Rich said he’d bring a change of clothes for you.”

 

“I’m going to be wearing just leather pants and a vest all day, I’m sure of it.” He smirked, moving to pour himself a cup of coffee.

 

“Misha will love it!” she laughed, catching the dish towel that suddenly flew at her face. Her phone rang, and she rolled her eyes when SP8 popped up on the screen. “Calling for proof that he’s alive?”

 

“Nope. Calling to make sure you pack enough clothes for two days.” Rich sounded amused. “Oh! And something sexy for the show tonight!”

 

“Alright, you lost me.” Anna frowned, placing toast on one of the plates and handing it to Rob. She pointed him towards the silverware caddy as she popped two more slices in.

 

“You’re staying until Monday.”

 

“Come again?” She shrugged at Rob’s confused look. “Are you still drunk, Rich?”

 

“Nope. I am just planning ahead.” He chuckled.

 

“I really don’t get wha-“

 

“Look.” He interjected. “I have three choices. Try to keep Robby from drinking at Saturday Night Special. Not gonna happen. Handcuff myself to him, which is going to get REALLY awkward a few beers in… OR save everyone the hassle and keep you here so no one has to worry about a repeat of last night. I’m going with the easiest option.”

 

“Rich…” she ignored the concerned look Rob gave her, refilling her mug.

 

“Sorry doll. You can pack a bag and have clothes for the weekend, or you can be stubborn and wear the same outfit for three days.” She could almost hear the twinkle in his eyes as he continued. “Or Robby could just keep you naked in his be-“

 

“Alright, Speight.” She huffed, knowing that her face was burning red. “Point made. We will see you in a few hours.”

 

  Ending the call before he could reply, she moved to the table. She tried to compose herself, avoiding Rob’s questioning gaze as she settled across from him. They ate in silence for a while, both stealing glances when they thought the other wasn’t looking.

 

“So, Rich made a suggestion…” she snuck a quick glance at him as she took a drink of coffee.

 

“I know. He called me.” Rob at least had the decency to blush as he set his fork down and picked up his mug. “I guess he was just as colorful with you?”

 

  Anna nodded, looking back down at her plate.

 

“Anna. Don’t let him try to push you into anything.” Rob reached across the table to lay his free hand on hers. “When my clothes are dry, I’ll call an Uber. It’ll be fine. I really am sorry for all of this. I wasn’t thinking. I just wanted to see you, and not on a screen. I should have called, not just barreled in here like a runaway train…“

 

  His voice rose in pitch and his words became more rambling, the anxiety quickly building steam.

 

“Rob.” She flipped her hand over to squeeze his. “Robby!”

 

  He stopped, blinking at her as if surprised to see her there. She gave him a soft smile, and moved to sit beside him.

 

“Five things you can see.” She tried to keep her voice soft.

 

“What? I don’t-“

 

“Look around, and list five things you can see.” She gave his hand another squeeze.

 

“What? Why?” He frowned.

 

“Five things you can see, four things you can touch, three things you can hear, two things you can smell, and one thing you can taste.” She ran her thumb gently over his knuckles. “It’s called grounding. I use It sometimes when I am feeling overloaded.

 

“Oh. I don’t really… well I really only need to name one thing for each.” He grinned at her confused look, his eyes looking her up and down for a moment. “You.”

 

“You.” He ran his thumb across the back of her hand.

 

“Rob…” he held up his free hand to silence her.

 

“I hear _you_.” Leaning in, he nuzzled her neck, inhaling deeply. She almost didn’t hear him over the beat of her own heart. “You.”

 

  When he pulled away, his gaze flickered to her lips, then back to her eyes, asking a silent question. Apparently, her response was sufficient, because he leaned in and kissed her. It was soft and gentle, his tongue barely brushing against her lips. When she parted them, he explored lazily, taking his time to savor every inch. By the time he pulled away, they were both flushed and breathless.

 

“You.” He tilted his head, licking his lips again. “And strawberries?”

 

“Lip balm.” She murmured, her eyes lingering on his lips for a moment before raising to meet his gaze. “Rob… what the hell was that?”

 

“Most people call it a kiss.” He grinned.

 

“I know that, dork.” She rolled her eyes, unable to resist grinning back at him. “Not what I meant.”

 

“What?” He hesitated. “Was it bad?”

 

“No. It’s just… what the hell _was_ that?” she leaned back in her chair, shaking her head. “First off, that is the smoothest I’ve ever seen you!”

 

“That was pretty smooth, wasn’t it?” His grin returned full force, and he shrugged. “I don’t know. I mean, I guess waking up in the bed of a beautiful woman boosts confidence? Don’t roll your eyes at me!”

 

“So you were just looking for something cute to wake up with?” She raised a brow.

 

“No. I was looking for you.” He ran a hand through his hair. “I was looking for someone I trust. Someone who is always willing to be my quiet place in the chaos of my life.”

 

  She grabbed her coffee, taking a long drink as reality started to settle around her again.

 

“So I am a safe place to crash.”

 

“Yes.” He reached forward to rest his hand over hers. “It’s more than that though, Anna. I should have done that two years ago.”

 

“I would have chalked it up to some savior complex and ignored your calls until you moved on.” She shrugged.

 

“Never would have happened.” He winked at her. “I would have found a way… Or written a song about it. Both, probably.”

 

“Oh come on.” She rolled her eyes, pulling her hand free and running it through her hair. “You have beautiful women throwing themselves at you all the time. Just throw a kazoo off the stage tonight, I’m sure it will hit a suitable replacement.”

 

“I doubt it would find one perfect enough to make me leave a convention and take an hour Uber ride to their house in the middle of the night.”

 

“Robby, you were drunk.” She set her mug on the table, standing as the washing machine stopped.

 

“So?” he frowned, grabbing her hand again to stop her.

 

“So… look at me.” She gestured at her curvy figure, then to him. “Guys like you don’t usually chase girls like me sober. Especially not when they are surrounded by girls like Kim, Brianna and Emily all day. I mean, have you seen your ex?”

 

  She pulled her hand from his grasp, leaving him to stare after her as she transferred his clothes to the dryer. She hit the start button, and jumped as his hands suddenly fell on her hips, spinning her to face him. His gaze was intense, his voice low as he moved his hands to the machine, effectively boxing her in. The two inch height difference suddenly seemed like two feet.

 

“Why do you think I came here?”

 

  She swallowed hard, looking down. She’d be lying if she said she’d never imagined herself here, just waiting for him to lift her up onto the nearest surface and kiss her breathless again. Even before she met him, Anna had wanted Rob. How could you not? One moment, he was this stuttering ball of adorable, and the next he was a god of sex and rock n’ roll. He was everything.

 

  Rob was her best friend.

 

  If she was honest with herself, he was more than that. She’d spent the past two years falling in love with him, despite knowing their worlds were too different. _They_ were too different. A rock star and a chubby photographer who moonlighted as the book keeper for her brother’s garage? Even her four year old niece knew that was less likely than a fairy godmother appearing in her room. No, she knew where this was going. The question now was, how badly was she going to get burned?

 

  She didn’t know how much time had passed when he finally spoke again.

 

“Anna?” He placed a finger under her chin, raising it gently. “Talk to me, sugar. I can see those gears moving in that beautiful head of yours, but I haven’t quite perfected reading your thoughts.”

 

“What do you want me to say?” She shrugged helplessly. “My rock star friend, whom I’ve seen in person maybe a dozen times in two years, shows up at my house drunk and kisses me. I’m still trying to wrap my head around the fact that you are standing in my kitchen. I’ve lived here almost a year, and you’ve never set foot on the property, but last night you were in my bed. I’m…”

 

“Overwhelmed.” He sighed, closing his eyes. “Man, I really fucked this up.”

 

“Robby…”

 

“No, I really did.” He chuckled, taking a step back. “I had this whole plan. When you came out to see us, I was going to ask you to stay the whole weekend, show you that I cared and wanted to explore this…”

 

“But then I cancelled… twice.”

 

“Yes, but the blame is all on me.” He ran a hand up the back of his neck. “I panicked. Instead of just calling you and saying ‘Hey, I really miss you, and want you to come crash with me while I’m in town.’ I got wasted, and caught an Uber, and poured myself on your doorstep. Not my finest moment.”

 

“I missed you too.” She smiled, pushing away from the dryer to wrap her arms around him. “And don’t get me wrong. I am happy you’re here. I just don’t know what to do with all of this.”

 

“Can I fix this?” He placed a gentle kiss on her forehead. “Will you let me try?”

 

“You didn’t break anything Robby.” She shook her head when he opened his mouth. “You just dove head first into the deep end, while I was still wading in the shallow. No fixing. Let’s just try to meet somewhere in the middle.”

 

“Alright.” He rested his forehead against hers. “Where do we start?”

 

“At the beginning, I suppose.”

 

“Hi, I’m Rob.” He grinned.

 

“Not that far back!” she rolled her eyes, reaching up to cup his face in her hands. “Why did you want me to stay with you this weekend?”

 

“Because I missed you.” He closed his eyes for a moment, hesitating. “Because it was driving me crazy, knowing that you were so close, but I couldn’t be near you. Because of that song you got stuck in my head…”

 

“Walk Me Home?”

 

“Yeah.” He pulled her close, swaying both of their bodies gently as he started to sing.

 

“There's something in the way you roll your eyes  
Takes me back to a better time  
When I saw everything is good  
But now you're the only thing that's good”

 

  They both sighed when his phone began ringing in his pocket.

 

“Probably Rich.” He grumbled, making no move to answer it.

 

“Probably. He’s worried you won’t make it on time.”

 

“I might not.” He leaned in to kiss her again as they danced. The stereo played “Uptown Funk”, but they continued swaying slowly. When his phone began to ring again, she pulled away and shook her head.

 

“Answer it. I need to get dressed anyway.”

 

  She turned to collect the breakfast dishes, smiling softly at the names he called Rich under his breath. The phone had stopped by the time he retrieved it from his pocket, and he sighed in frustration. A moment later, both of their phones rang in unison. She saw Norton’s face and chuckled, answering with her free hand. He was seated next to Rich on the couch, and tapped him on the shoulder.

 

“I got her!” he grinned. “Good morning beautiful!”

 

  She rolled her eyes, carrying the dishes to the sink. The two video chats created an odd echo effect, so she turned down her volume. She heard Rich whistle, and saw Norton lean over to peer at his phone. He turned back to the camera, wiggling his brows, then turned the phone so she could see herself on the other screen, back to the camera, in just her oversized t-shirt.

 

“And now we know why Bobbo wasn’t answering!” Rich glanced between the two phones with a smirk.

 

“You handle the children, Robby.” Anna rolled her eyes. “I need to pack a bag and make myself presentable.”

 

“You look great as is!” Norton winked at her, and she could see Rob glare on the other phone screen.

 

“Is there a reason you two are disturbing our peaceful morning?” Rob huffed.

 

  Anna stuck her tongue out at Norton, and ended the call. Rob shot her an apologetic look as she walked by, so she stopped to grab his hand and give it a squeeze. She was almost out the door when she heard Rich whistle sharply.

 

“Bobbo! If you’re not going to share the view, eyes back here!”


	6. Chapter 6

  It had taken all of ten minutes after they left the gas station for her phone to ring. She’d laughed at Rob’s terrified face when he heard her brother demanding to know who the man gassing up her car at Casey’s was.

 

   Mrs. Stanley had seen him from across the street, and said that Martha Albright saw him hold open her car door. The clerk, Deb (“You know, Will and Marcy’s girl?”) said that they seemed awfully friendly, and that the man had insisted on paying. Don was gassing up his truck at the next pump and said that the man seemed a bit older, but Anna did tend to like them mature, didn’t she? When she’d stopped giggling long enough to catch her breath and explained that Rob was in town, and he was on Bluetooth in the car, Jimmy had been almost friendly.

 

  She’d ended the call quickly, claiming a bad connection, when her brother had asked why Rob was at her house so early in the morning to begin with. Laughing again, she hit next on the stereo. Rob had been given the options of radio, satellite radio, CD or her USB thumb drive, and he’d opted to just let the USB shuffle through her music. They were more than halfway through the trip when he shook his head.

 

“Dolly Parton, Maroon 5, Eve 6, Frank Sinatra, The Greatest Showman, Led Zepplin and now Bob Seger!”He tossed his hands up in defeat. “You listen to pretty much anything, don’t you?”

 

“I like music.” She shrugged as she changed lanes. “You might even find some Coolio and Disturbed if you dig deep enough. Just be glad I removed all the boy band stuff.”

 

“And you sing along to all of it! Is there any song you don’t know the words to?” He asked as he scrolled through the list on the screen.

 

“Barenaked Ladies ‘One Week’.” She stated matter-of-factly. “Most modern country… or hip hop. Honestly, a lot of stuff recorded after I graduated high school. SPN family excluded of course.”

 

  He chuckled, prepared to respond when something caught his eye. He quickly changed the song, and turned the volume up. She started to protest him cutting off “Mainstreet”, when the beginning of “Walk Me Home” filtered through the speakers. She cast a quick glance to the side, and he smiled, reaching out to take her hand.

 

  When the final chords had faded, the song still hung in the air around them. They rode silence for a few miles until finally, he squeezed her hand.

 

“You stopped singing.”

 

“Concentrating on the road.” She lied. “The interchange here is a bit confusing. You have three highways merging and separating. I don’t want to take the wrong exit.”

 

“I don’t remember.” He chuckled. “I rode with my eyes closed, because the car was making me sick.”

 

“Yeah. I’m sure it was the car and not the ten gallons of Sierra Nevada...” Anna shot him a smirk.

 

“It was only eight!” His feigned indignation made her laugh, and the mood shifted.

 

“So what’s the plan?” She gently pulled her hand back and changed lanes again. “You rock the con. I chill in your room with Netflix and my Kindle. We hang out when your day is done?”

 

“That sounds terrible! For both of us.” He shook his head. “I’d really prefer to spend most of my day hanging out with you. Obviously panels, autos and photos will keep me out of the green room for longer, but you could go check out the rest of the con if you want.”

 

“Green room?” Anna shot him a look of terror. “You mean you expect me to hang out with actors all day?”

 

“And the band! They will be more available than I am. I’m sure Norton will let you follow him around.” She didn’t need to look at him to know she was getting the puppy eyes. “You know most of the people who will be there anyway.”

 

“Saying ‘hi’ through a phone screen is not the same as sharing physical space, Rob.”

 

“Which is exactly the point I’ve been trying to make since Thursday!” He huffed, gently tucking her hair behind her ear. “I just want to spend every minute I can with you.”

 

  The unspoken “before I have to go” hit her as she steered the car down the exit ramp. Wasn’t that the point in all of this? She came to spend time with him. Their chances to do this were few and far between these days. She’d been travelling less since the move, and he was right, they hadn’t spent any real time together in several months. He saw the shift in her, and rested his hand on her leg.

 

“At least give it a try. Jason will be there later, you see him almost as much as me. And Rich can give you the spare key to my room. If it gets to be too much, you can bail.” His thumb made tiny circles on her jeans, making it hard for her to concentrate. “Please?”

 

“I knew I should have worn a different shirt.” Anna sighed. “Think I’ll have time to change? At the very least, I think have a flannel in the back seat I can toss on over it.”

 

“What’s wrong with what you’re wearing now?” Rob studied her jeans and t-shirt with a confused frown.

 

“Really? ‘I aim to misbehave’? In a room of Supernatural stars?” She rolled her eyes. “It’s a quote from Firefly… Serenity? Joss Whedon? Mark Sheppard was in it!”

 

“Oh, I thought it was just a promise.” He winked at her. “Pull around over there. I’ll shoot Rich a text to meet us at the back.”


	7. Chapter 7

It wasn’t Rich who met them, but Chris Schmelke. After a brief exchange, he and Rob switched places, and Rob disappeared into the building. Chris directed her to where most of the staff was parked, making small talk about photography as he walked back to the building with her. He stopped just outside the door and handed her a badge.

“So no one tries to toss you out.” He winked at her. “Can’t have Rob running off again.”

She suddenly found herself wondering who all knew about last night. Her stomach started churning as he led her through the halls to the green room. Every possible rumor floated through her mind. The way they would be whispering, the looks she would get all weekend.

She should have just asked Rob for his room key. He just had to change clothes, shouldn’t take long. Maybe she’d just ask Chris to point her to the ladies room, and Rob would come looking for her eventually…

She realized Chris had stopped, and was looking at her with concern. She opened her mouth to apologize, but only a startled cry came out. Suddenly, the world was spinning. No, she was spinning. There was a strong pair of arms around her, lifting her off the ground. She saw blurry people turning towards the commotion just before she closed her eyes.

“Damn it, Norton!” Rich called from somewhere nearby. “If you break her, you are dealing with Bobbo.”

The drummer set her down with a laugh. He kept his hands on her shoulders, turning her around to face him. Anna opened her eyes to see him grinning like a mischievous child. She hit him in the chest, causing another laugh to erupt from him before he wrapped her in a bear hug. When she’d finished muttering obscenities against his shirt, he pulled away with a smile. Suddenly she was swept up into a bridal style carry.

“Thanks, Chris.” He nodded firmly. “I’ll take it from here.”

“Norton!” She yelped, face turning red as she glanced around at the handful of gawkers. “Put me down! You are going to hurt yourself!”

“Then I guess I’d better move fast!” He gave her a wicked grin, then looked to the open door they had apparently been in front of the whole time. “Borja, move it! Incoming!”

He took off at a half run, stopping to bow down in front of a very amused Rachel Miner. Thankfully, it appeared she was the only non-band member in the green room at the moment. Once introductions had been made, and compliments on geeky shirts exchanged, he spun around to continue his journey.

“Huh, I just thought they were finally making you wear a warning label…” he mused.

She was dropped unceremoniously onto a couch, her head landing dangerously close to Billy’s leg. The dark-haired idol barely flinched, looking up from his phone to give her a small smile and a “Hey” before resuming his scrolling. Norton straddled her legs, looking down at her like a cat with a mouse under its paw.

“Now.” He raised a brow. “What. Is. My. Name?”

“Old age is really getting to you, bud.” She saw Billy smirk, and heard the others laugh. “Don’t worry. We’ll get someone to stitch it on the waistband of your underwear for you, Stevie!”

What followed could only be described as a brawl. Norton launched into tickling her mercilessly, and she set about attempting to roll him off of her and onto the floor. At some point, Borja ended up holding her arms down, and Billy began smacking the other two in the head with a throw pillow. The distraction allowed her to overthrow both of her assailants, and she found herself straddling a startled Norton while Billy pinned Borja on the couch.

By the time Rob and Rich entered the room, they were collapsed in a panting heap on the carpet. She laughed breathlessly as Borja threatened to dump a bottle of water on her. In the end, she lifted her head, and he held the bottle to her lips while she drank. She looked up innocently at the startled squeak that escaped Rob.

“Uh oh…” she smirked at the other three. “Mom and Dad are home. I think we’re grounded...”


	8. Chapter 8

   The couch was in shambles, cushions all uprooted, and throw pillows scattered on the floor. Anna’s head was in Borja’s lap, as he leaned back against the remains of it. Billy had resumed his screen time, feet propped on the coffee table that he had been smart enough to shove away before the melee got too bad, using her stomach as a pillow. Norton lay on her other side, his head on her shoulder, one leg casually tossed over hers.

 

“Great.” Rich smirked. “In nine months, we’re going to have a baby named BillyBob Norton Borja-Swain, because even Maury Povich is going to shrug and say ‘band baby’. Good luck in _that_ child support battle.”

 

“What the hell happened?” Rob scanned the scene in disbelief. “We have been here less than twenty minutes!”

 

“I heard a lot of ‘Say my name!’ if that helps.” Rachel shrugged, barely containing a laugh.

 

“Don’t forget the ‘Rumpelstiltskin’s” chimed in Jim Beaver. Anna couldn’t stop the laughter that bubbled up, idly wondering when he had arrived.

 

“Ten minu- oh…” She looked up to see a shocked Hillary standing in the doorway. “Ten minutes to stage guys? We walk in five… you can still walk, right?”

 

  Anna laughed again as the woman gave the band a bewildered look. None of them made any attempt to move, so she sighed, starting to shake herself free from them. Rich grinned, leaning into the handler and murmuring something about a new best friend.

 

“Alright boys, up and at ’em!” she nudged each one. “Gotta go make some beer money, drinks are on you tonight!”

 

“Tonight?” Norton raised a brow, a grin slowly creeping across his face. “You aren’t just dropping Rob off?”

 

“Nope.” She smirked, tousling his already wild hair. She grabbed her glasses from the table and shot Billy a grateful glance for thinking of that too. “You bums are stuck with me until Monday. But only if you get your rears moving! I don’t want no scrubs. Come on! Billy, don’t make me take that phone away.”

 

  The guys were on their feet, the couch restored, table moved, and hair smoothed back into place by the time Hillary gave the five minute warning. Rich gave her a “told ya” look and bowed, gesturing to the door. The still baffled handler turned and began leading the band down the hall. As they all filed out, Rob held out a hand to Anna, a nervous smile on his lips. She bypassed the offer, pulling him into a quick hug instead before they hurried to catch up with the others.

 

  As they moved down the hall, she felt his fingers entwine with hers. His eyes stayed focused on Billy and Borja in front of them, discussing the panel line-up and set list for the day. Hers scanned the hallway quickly, looking for anyone who might be watching, camera ready for the next bit of con gossip. Rob squeezed her hand, and she looked back to find a reassuring smile on his lips. He shot her a wink, then looked behind them to laugh at something Norton said.

 

  They arrived at the curtain, and the excitement was so thick, it nearly smothered her. Even Billy was practically bouncing where he stood. Anna frowned, grabbing Borja by the shoulder. She pulled a random red hair from his collar with a smirk, then gave him a thumbs up. The band each took a turn getting a once over and a hug from her, until Rob was the only one left. The guys pointedly looked away, leaning in to talk to Hillary as Rob pulled her into a long, slow kiss. When the band was announced, he pulled away with a grin, then he was gone.

 

“Damn.” Rich’s voice right next to her ear startled her. “It’s worse than I thought.”

 

  Hillary was ensuring the path to Rachel’s ramp was clear, leaving the two nearly alone. Anna was grateful for the privacy as she tried to force down the blush creeping up her neck. The crowd cheered and the band started, making all conversation temporarily impossible. She took the moment to collect herself.

 

“No idea what you’re talking about, Speight.” She crossed her arms beneath her chest, trying to focus on the activity on the other side of the curtain.

 

“Sure you don’t, sweetheart.” He smirked. “Here I was, under the impression that Rob just needed to scratch an itch. But it looks like he’s done fell hook, line and sinker for our little Anna Lee.”

 

“Rich…”

 

“Nope, we don’t have much time, and I like you, so I’m going to give you what the kids call ‘the lowdown’ these days.” He stepped in front of her, putting his hands on her shoulders. “One, he doesn’t care who knows back here. Two, if you keep acting like a terrified rabbit, he’s going to think you don’t want him, and I’m pretty positive you are just as smitten. Uh uh. Let me finish. Three, Norton is going to make him go caveman before the weekend is over. And four, all of these people back here are going to try and protect Rob like the anxious little kitten that he is. Be prepared to be grilled like a teenage boy on prom night.”

 

  Her reply was cut off by Hillary’s return. Rich spread his arms, inviting his once over, then giving her a hug and a kiss on the cheek. He whispered something to Hillary, and then Rob called his name and he was gone. Hillary’s business façade dropped, and she nodded towards the green room with a smile.

 

“They’re going to be out there for a while, so Rich suggested I take you back to watch from the green room.” She chuckled, shaking her head. “You have to teach me how you did that! Rich said you have brothers?”

 

“I’m the oldest of five.” Anna grinned. “The baby and I are the only girls, and the boys are all built like Jason. You learn quickly how to intimidate without the advantage of size. Knowledge of pressure points helped greatly with my brothers…”

 

  By the time they reached the green room door, Anna felt much more at ease with the woman beside her. She knew her from Skype and DickChat, but they had never truly interacted before, and she was actually quite pleasant. Hillary stopped her at the door to the green room, insisting on exchanging numbers for emergencies and future band-wrangling help. Then she smiled warmly.

 

“Just so you know, everyone here is family. Anything that happens in a backstage area stays quiet… except the shenanigans like a single woman taking down an entire band.” She laughed, giving Anna’s arm a re-assuring squeeze before she left her.

 

  Jim glanced up from the monitor with a smile when she walked in, motioning her over to join the small group. A dozing Matt Cohen, and a tired looking Mark Pelligrino had arrived in the time she’d been gone. Mark stood, a warm smile on his lips as he extended his hand.

 

“Boys, this is the Amazon who took down the band.” Jim smirked and Anna laughed. “Then she led them out of here like ducklings following their mama. I don’t believe I caught her name earlier though.”

 

“Anna.” Rachel piped up with a smile.

 

  Anna nodded, shaking Mark’s hand, then Jim’s. Matt’s eyes opened, and a huge grin spread across his face.

 

“Anna Lee!” He jumped up and hugged her. “Robby managed to drag you here after all! Please tell me you’re at least staying for the show tonight?”

 

  Anna nodded, letting him pull her down into the chair next to him, relieved to have someone familiar nearby. Matt was a frequent tag along on her “dates” with the band, and he was never shy about popping into the frame on Skype either. Silently she told herself everything would be alright. Matt was here, and Rob said Jason would be there later. If she could just keep one of them in her sights at all times, she’d survive.

 

  Matt laid his head on her shoulder, and Jim looked her over curiously.

 

“Ohhh. Rob’s girl.” He nodded. “You look different on a phone screen.”

 

“Oh!” Mark grinned. “Norton was running around with you last night. Nice to finally meet you in the flesh.”

 

  Anna was thankful for the sudden cheers from the crowd as Rich began introducing the band. Rachel slid herself back onto her motorized chair, looking up to the door as another handler appeared.

 

“Looks like that’s my cue to head out.” She gave them all a small wave. “See you later!”

 

  The remaining four settled into a comfortable silence, watching the boys mess around on stage. Matt dozed off again, arms folded across his chest, legs stretched out before him, ankles crossed. She chuckled, shaking her head as she looked him over.

 

“I don’t know how he does that. I’m actually younger than him, and my back hurts just looking at him.” She rolled her eyes. Jim and Mark nodded in agreement.

 

  On the screen, Rachel rode onto the stage, stopping for a hug from Rob as Rich pulled a chair forward for her. They exchanged a bit of playful banter as the band filed off stage. Then Rob and Rich ducked behind the curtain, and she waited.

 

  Norton was the first to come running in, Borja not far behind. Billy came strolling in after, eyes locked on his phone, as usual. They headed for the couch again, Norton beckoning her to follow. Nudging Matt gently, she rolled her shoulders and stood. She had just started to cross the room when Rob and Rich appeared. Blue eyes scanned the room, landing on her as he smiled.

 

“Hey.” He closed the distance between them, wrapping her in a hug. “There you are.”

 

“Rich thought I’d be more comfortable back here, since you’d be out there for a bit.” She was keenly aware that several sets of eyes were on them, but the look Rich shot her kept her from ducking away. “You should sit while you can. You’re going to be running around a lot today.”

 

  She nodded towards the couch, pulling away gently, and reaching for his hand. The giant sectional had plenty of room for a dozen people to spread out on, but she let Rob pull her down close enough that their legs touched. The guys launched into set lists and arrangements, as he rested his arm on the couch behind her.

 

  At some point, instruments were brought out, and the guys would randomly pick one up and play while chatting.  And so, the tone of the day was set. She would help the handlers get the boys on stage, depending on the length of the outro/intro, she would stay and walk back with them too. In the green room, they would take over a corner, and others would drift in and out of their circle of chaos.

 

  At first, she thought every new face in the room was judging her, taking in all of her flaws. Then she realized they were simply assessing the threat to their “kitten” as Rich had put it. After the initial curiosity, no one really seemed to notice the way Rob’s hand frequently sought hers. They hardly batted an eye when he dashed back to the couch and flopped down with his head in her lap. Even Norton seemed to pull back on his teasing, and it all started to feel just a bit more natural.

 

  When she started tossing them bottled water, chastising them about hydration, Borja called her “Band Mommy”. Rich quickly decided that wouldn’t do, and changed it to “Mrs. Swain”, stating it would be easier to explain the band baby if she were the band wife. He had, of course, told her to ask her husbands if they were willing to share when she’d flipped him off.


	9. Chapter 9

“They let _you_ in here?!” Jason called from the door, eyeing Anna with a look of mock horror.

 

“I know, right?” She grinned at him. “It’s like you almost made it out the door, and your mom yelled ‘Take your little sister with you!’ just before it closed.”

 

“But Mo-om!” Jason whined, turning to Rich. “She’s so annoying! My friends hate her! And she doesn’t even _like_ baseball!”

 

“Just wait until you find out what your buddy is doing to her behind the dugout.” Rich smirked.

 

  Jason’s eyes immediately went to Rob, who gave a nervous laugh and blushed, shooting Rich a look. Anna stood, ignoring the heat creeping across her own cheeks and holding out her arms for a hug. Jason obliged quickly, lifting her off the ground a little and whispering in her ear.

 

“Apparently we have a lot to catch up on.” He smirked, tousling her hair when he set her back down. He pulled up a chair to the other side of the coffee table, watching her settle next to Rob again with amusement. “So I heard someone assaulted a couch earlier?”

 

  Anna and Norton pointed at each other, smirking.

 

“You started it!” Norton pointed a thumb back at himself. “I finished it.”

 

“Not how I remember it, Gramps.” Anna cocked a brow. “I can jog your memory though, if you wanna go another round? Or do you need more time to recover?”

 

“Oh, I am _always_ ready for another round, sweetheart.” He wiggled his brows, making her laugh.

 

“Alright, alright.” Rob wrapped his arms around her, pulling her closer as he shot Norton a glare.

 

“No need for debate, boys and girls!” Rich grinned. “Let’s go to the tapes! Well… the photograph anyway.”

 

  He pulled out his phone with a flourish, showing Jason the screen. Jason laughed, shaking his head.

 

“I can’t take you anywhere, Anna Lee!” He nodded to Rich. “Send that to me?”

 

  Rich tapped his phone a few times, and all the phones around the coffee table went off.

 

“Group text for the band.” Rich shrugged, tapping again. “And for the lady…”

 

  Anna’s phone went off, and she pulled it out of her pocket curiously. What greeted her was an image of chaos and contentment. It looked like she and the band were in a cuddle puddle in the middle of a war zone. Norton and Borja were gazing at her with affection, and even Billy had looked up from his phone for a moment, grinning at whatever had made her laugh.

 

“Sorry, Norton.” Jason smirked. “You three look like you’ve been won.”

 

“Actually, Billy was on my side to begin with.” Anna grinned, Billy reached across Norton to give her a fist bump.

 

“Billy the Kid and Annie Oakley.” Jason nodded. “I like it.”

 

“Seriously though, Speight.” Anna narrowed her eyes. “This pic doesn’t leave this room.”

 

“Too late!” Rich grinned, laughing at the look of terror on her face. “I sent it to Schmelke. He _has_ to know somebody who can swap your body for Rob’s! Think of the t-shirts!”

 

“You’re thinking small, Rich.” Jason ignored Rob’s ‘don’t encourage him’ look. “We leave Anna as is. Add me leaping over the back of the couch to join. Toss in Rob standing behind It, with that look he gets halfway through Sunday when you’re trying to convince yet another fan that he hates wherever they’re from.”

 

“Oooh, I like!” Rich nodded. “But how are we going to explain Mrs. Swain to the fans?”

 

“We won’t have to.” Jason winked at Anna. “Because it will be the cover of the album she’s going to let me produce for her.”

 

“Keep dreaming, Manns.” Anna rolled her eyes, reaching for her water bottle.

 

“Wait, the Amazon, Mrs. Swain sings?” Briana called across the room.

 

“Yes she does!” Jason smiled. “Quite well too!”

 

“Well come on then, let’s hear it.” Briana grinned.

 

“Jason thinks everyone can sing!” Anna looked to Rob for backup, but he simply grinned. “Isn’t that why he’s always trying to get everyone on his album?”

 

“Have I ever been wrong about a track?” Jason looked around the room.

 

  Briana grabbed Kim’s hand and started pulling her towards the couch. Rachel shrugged and pointed her unicorn in that direction as well. Anna’s eyes widened, and she tried to hide behind Norton. The drummer laughed, and tousled her hair as he stood. He shot her a wink, sitting down on his box across the table.

 

“Come on, sweetie.” Briana smiled, pulling up chairs for the three of them. “Jason makes all of his friends sing. May as well get it over with.”

 

She looked around the table for help, but found only encouraging smiles.

 

“I knew I should have stayed in the room today…” she muttered.


	10. Chapter 10

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> First, in case you've forgotten, the P!nk song in question can be found here: https://youtu.be/LQMBlFSu2QU
> 
> Second, updates are probably going to get slower from here. When I started posting, I had the first 7 chapters written, I just needed to proofread. I've got 2 more chapters sitting on the shelf right now, and I have a mental outline of where the story is going. BUT, I just injured my rotator cuff, so typing is hard some days. I promise I will finish the story, y'all will just have to be patient with me.

“Are you sure she can sing?” Kim tilted her head. “Because she looks like she’s ready to bolt… or vomit.”

“Was it Houston?” Jason looked to Rob questioningly.

“Phoenix.” Anna scowled. “All Roy’s fault.”

“Oh yeaaaah. Phoenix.” Jason grinned. “So, we wrap up karaoke, Rob shoots Anna a text to meet up for a late dinner.”

“Anna’s brother Roy somehow talks us all into going to this dive bar to see his buddy’s band play.” Rich chuckled.

“Roy was gifted with a silver tongue.” Anna shook her head, grinning. “And that baby face…”

“So, we’re a couple beers in, and Roy leans over to whisper in my ear.” Jason chuckled. “He says ‘You’re gonna make sure Anna Lee gets back to the house safe… and alone, alright?’”

“Mind you,” Rich held up a hand. “This is myself, Jason, Roy, and the band… all crammed into a corner booth, with Anna dead center. Roy has already announced that there is no way she is getting laid tonight.”

Anna rolled her eyes, and they guys shared a chuckle. The ladies looked like they were watching a tennis match, trying to keep up with all of the narrators.

“Right.” Jason nodded. “And I’m wondering what the hell is about to go down, but I sure as hell want to find out, so I nod and say ‘Sure thing, bud.’ He says ‘Watch this!’ and orders a round of whiskey. So we do a few shots, have another beer, and everyone is feeling pretty good.”

“Then Roy starts asking to be let out.” Norton smirked. “Says he needs to talk to his buddy real quick.”

“He gets up, signals the waitress for another round of shots, and walks up to the stage.” Jason glanced back to Anna.

“In the middle of a guitar solo.” Billy scowled, looking up from his screen.

“Perfect time if you need the singer’s attention.” Rob shrugged. “He was off to the side, sneaking a drink anyway.”

“So he and the singer have a quick word.” Jason continued. “Roy comes back, we have our shots. Then he tells us to let Anna Lee out.”

Anna cringed, wishing her brother was close enough to kick right now.

“Song ends, and the singer tells the crowd that a very dear friend of his is in the audience, and he’d love if she came up for old time’s sake.” Jason looked Anna over with a proud smile. “And this little vixen climbs up on that stage and rocks out ‘Just Like Jesse James’ like she was born on a stage.”

“There was a lot of alcohol involved.” Anna blushed. “For me and the crowd.”

“Everyone loved it!” Borja grinned. “Except their drummer… what was his deal?”

“Ex.” Anna shrugged.

“Wait, your brother got his sister drunk, and tossed her on stage with her ex?” Rich’s eyebrows shot up.

“Roy thinks I dumped him because I couldn’t handle being alone when he was on the road.” Anna took a drink of her water.

“Wait, Roy thinks?” Norton tilted his head, eyes narrowed. “What’s the truth?”

“I dumped him because I got sick of finding lacy underwear that would barely fit one of my thighs in his laundry when he got back.” Anna shrugged, setting her bottle down. “Drunk, half-naked groupies are a bitch to resist.”

She felt Rob’s hand on her hip, his thumb slipping beneath the hem of her shirt to stroke her skin lightly. 

“Fuckin’ prick.” Briana scowled.

“Should’ve told me.” Norton cracked his knuckles. “I would have helped him learn some manners.”

“If I wanted him dead, I would have told my biological brothers.” Anna chuckled, shaking her head. “Not worth the effort. Besides, Roy warned me not to date him. Lesson learned.”

“Still a fuckin’ prick.” Kim chimed in.

“Anyway…” Anna shook her head. “I had performed with those guys quite a bit when I was younger, dumber and thinner. Whiskey made me forget that I was none of those things anymore. And since I don’t see any whiskey here...”

“I don’t know about whiskey, but I’m sure Bobbo has some drugs in his b-hole that can relax you.” Rich smirked, changing the tone of the room again. Rob flicked a guitar pick at him, giving Anna’s hip a gentle squeeze before he pulled away.

“Come on. You can do our song.” Rob grabbed his guitar, not noticing Anna’s confusion when she turned to him. “I mean, the guys learned it, may as well give them a reason to play it.”

“Of course you’re the one to blame for Pink!” Norton tossed his hands up in frustration. “Got that song so stuck in his head that we learned it just to try and complete it. End the loop.”

“Nothing gets stuck in Rob’s head quite like Anna Lee…” Rich winked at her as Borja handed him a bass. A keyboard was produced from somewhere, and Billy’s guitar replaced his phone.

“Ready?” Rob looked at her expectantly.

“For the record, I hate you.” Anna flipped Jason off as he laughed.

“Come on.” Rob gave her one of his grins. “Are you saying you aren’t comfortable with us? You have cuddled the whole band, and Matt today!”

“I hate you too.” She sighed, shifting to sit on the edge of the cushion and adjust her posture for better breathing.

“Aww, that usually takes two dates for Rob!” Rich chuckled behind her. Rob rolled his eyes and nodded once. 

Borja started with the keyboard, and Norton joined in when she took a breath and started to sing. By the time Billy, Rob and Rich joined in, she had decided to focus on Rob alone. He joined her on the chorus, and the boys filled in the background vocals.

Rob leaned towards her in the second verse, challenging her, and she responded in kind. She put a hand to her chest, deciding to let go and feel the music. The line “So come on and show me how we’re good” made Rob’s tongue peek out to wet his lips, and her heart sped up. Suddenly it clicked. The moment, the song, the reason he’d appeared on her doorstep last night all fell into place.

When the song dropped to just her and his guitar, her hand reached out to rest on his knee instinctively. She left it there, even as everyone sang along to the last chorus. When they finished, Rob graced her with a megawatt smile, quickly discarding his guitar to wrap his arms around her. The rest of the group clapped, not noticing the quick kiss she placed on his jaw before pulling away.

“And we have our first single, ladies and gentlemen!” Jason laughed catching the gummy bear she tossed at him in his mouth. He was saved from her finding heavier ammo when her phone started playing “Cecilia”.

“Ope. Miss Maggie must be missing Auntie.” She grinned, looking at the text. “I should step outside, she wants to video chat.”

“Aw, can I at least say hi?” Rob pouted.

She rolled her eyes, settling back on the couch next to him. He slipped his arm around her shoulders, resting his head against hers as she waited for her sister to answer. When the screen went black, they both frowned at it in confusion.

“Maggie!” Cecila laughed, pulling the phone away from the girl’s ear. “Video call, not phone.”

Matching sets of green eyes and blonde hair appeared on the screen.

“Gets it from her aunti-ow!” Rob snickered as she elbowed him gently. “Hey Maggie May! Hi Ceci!”

“Robby!” the child cheered. “Mama, look! Robby! And Auntie!”

Maggie kissed the phone screen, pulling back to squeal with delight again. Cecilia waved from behind her, laughing at the child’s excitement. Rob blew her a kiss and waved.

“Well, you just made her year.” Cecilia grinned. “We haven’t seen you since… Seattle?”

“No.” Rob frowned, brows furrowing with thought. “San Diego. Remember? You guys cosplayed angels, and Maggie had that shirt that said ‘Chuck’s favorite’ on it?”

“You mean the shirt that made Misha pout all day?” Rich smirked.

The sisters laughed, and Maggie giggled. She still didn’t fully understand why the grownups found it so funny, but she loved that she was the source of the amusement. She blew kisses at each of the band members and Rich as they grouped around to say hello to their littlest fan. 

“Alright, I should get out of here before she starts demanding a concert. Because you know she will.” Anna grinned. “I’m just going to step out to the far end of the hall where it is quiet.”

“Actually, remember the other green room?” Rob smiled, catching her hand as she stood. “It’s usually sitting empty. Everyone tends to congregate in the band’s room. I don’t think anyone will mind if you use it.”

“Across the hall, right? Okay. If I’m not back before the panel ends, you’re in charge of making sure the boys are presentable, Jason.” She grinned at him. “And the kisses for luck!”

She laughed, dodging the gummy bear that flew at her head. She kept the phone close to her chest as she hurried across the hall. Once safely inside, she collapsed into one of the chairs.

“Oh sissy, sissy, sissy.” Cecilia smirked. “Jimmy called me…Talk.”


	11. Chapter 11

  After nearly an hour of explaining the past 24 hours to her sister, Anna was exhausted. Half that time had been spent convincing her niece that Mommy was silly and she did not need to start calling him Uncle Robby. She wondered for the hundredth time why her parents had felt she needed a sister… she would have been fine with all brothers. Brothers didn’t start planning weddings and talking about clocks ticking after seeing someone’s arm around you once.

 

  She slipped back into the green room, quickly locating Rob at the dining table. He looked up just then, and their eyes met. The smile he gave her, and the way he held out his hand, made her heart skip a beat. She was halfway to him when several things hit her at once.

 

  One, he was sitting at the table having a conversation. Two, he and his companions were standing to greet her. And three, one of them was ridiculously tall. She stopped just short of Rob’s outstretched arm, face going pale.

 

“Oh, shit.” Her face quickly turned red as the group chuckled. “Oh… I- I’m so sorry.”

 

“Don’t be, we get the same reaction from Misha when we walk on set.” Jared grinned, and the rest of the group laughed.

 

“True story.” Misha appeared on the opposite side of Jensen, holding out his hand. “I believe we passed each other in the hall earlier, didn’t we? I was in a bit of a hurry.”

 

“He means he was late… again.” Rich called out from across the room, and Misha casually flipped him off, never breaking eye contact with her.

 

“Gentlemen.” Rob slipped his arm around her waist. “This is Anna. Anna, this is-“

 

“She knows who they are.” Norton laughed. “Can’t you see her drooling?”

 

“Is Mark Sheppard still here?” Anna asked idly, eyes still on the three before her.

 

“I am, darling.” Came his voice from the direction of the couch.

 

“Good.” Anna nodded. “Rob is going to need a new drummer, just as soon as I am done with the formalities here.”

 

“I like her!” Jared laughed, pulling her away from Rob and wrapping her in a giant hug.

 

“Sorry, the big guy is a hugger.” Jensen smirked, then shrugged. “Ah, who am I kidding?”

 

  As soon as Jared released her, Jensen pulled her into a slightly less suffocating hug. When he was done, Misha grinned.

 

“Well now it seems rude not to…” he chuckled, embracing her as well.

 

  Rob’s arm slipped around her again as Misha stepped back, his hand giving her hip a gentle squeeze.

 

“I’m sorry, you’re busy.” She gave him an apologetic look, starting to pull away. “I’ll let you finish up here.”

 

“It’s fine.” He smiled “I wanted to introduce you anyway. We were just figuring out what songs Jensen wanted to sing tonight, and trying to trick Jared into playing ‘Free Fallin’ again.”

 

“You’re as bad as Jason! Not everyone wants to play rock star!” She shook her head, grinning at Jared. “Don’t let these knuckleheads bully you.”

 

“She’s really saying that she wants to perform instead.” Jason smirked from across the table.

 

“Why are all of your friends assholes?” Anna sighed, earning her a chuckle from the group. “Except Billy.”

 

  Rob laughed, pulling her a bit closer and pressing a kiss to her temple. She heard her name, and looked over to see Billy holding up a bottle of beer and an Xbox controller, brows raised in question. She smiled and nodded, turning to kiss Rob’s cheek.

 

“See? That’s why he’s my favorite.” She winked at him before turning to the others. “A pleasure meeting you three. Jason… I still hate you.”

 

“We’ve got twenty minutes until the panel change from Samantha to Misha.” Rob grabbed her hand as she turned away, giving it a squeeze. “No shenanigans.”

 

“No promises!” Anna winked at him and hurried across the room, settling between Billy and Borja with a smile. She took a drink of the offered beer and sighed contently. “You have no idea how badly I needed that…”

 

“Thirsty girl?” Norton smirked, cocking an eyebrow, tearing his attention from the screen to steal a quick glance at her. “You know I’m always here if you need someone to take care of you sweethe-“

 

  The throw pillow in his face made him laugh, then groan in frustration as Billy took him down in the game. Borja quietly stood and moved to the other end of the couch. Anna shrugged, turning to rest her feet in Norton’s lap.

 

“Can I play the winner?” She glanced to Borja. “Or are you next?”


	12. Chapter 12

  A friendly round of Starwahl had turned into Norton nudging her with his shoulder to break her focus. That had led to her dramatically falling into Billy’s lap, and playfully kicking Norton in the stomach. By the time Hillary arrived with Misha’s handler, they were on the floor again. Norton was laying on his stomach, with Anna sitting cross-legged in the middle of his back. She laughed as Billy took her down on the screen, and passed the controller to Norton.

 

“Ten minutes, guys.” Hillary held up a folder in front of her face when Rich approached with the DickChat phone.

 

“Last round boys.” Anna grinned, moving carefully to stand, noting that she only got an acknowledgement from Rob.

 

  Hillary paused in her running from Rich to shoot a pointed look at the table where Rob sat, raising her brows in question. The boys had enjoyed “acting up” randomly throughout the day, just to watch her launch into big sis mode. She assumed it was to both test her boundaries and make her forget she was on the verge of a panic attack from being here.

 

  New faces for her seemed to be a favorite trigger for them, and it would make sense that they would choose J2M as an audience. Would she risk embarrassing herself in front of the lumbersexual Gods of this convention?

 

  She shot Hillary a wink and a devilish grin. If the boys wanted to play, she would play.

 

  When the round ended, and the boys made no move to put the game down, she sighed loudly. Rob looked up with a frown, and she winked at him, moving to his side. He slipped his arm around her waist, and looked up hesitantly.

 

“What’s up, sugar?”

 

“Well, I fear your band is malfunctioning.” She gestured towards the couch. “We’ll have to execute Plan M.”

 

“Oh no!” Rob gave her a look of mock horror. “Not Plan M!”

 

“Fraid so, Robby.” She glanced around the room. “Jason, Mark, Rich. I need you three to work your magic on my girls. It is time for the world to meet Mrs. Swain.”

 

  She motioned the guys closer, pointing at each of the girls in turn.

 

“We know all of your voices blend with Rob, so vocals aren’t an issue. Kim, think you can learn the basic chords on the guitar? Robby can take the lead. Rachel, you are going to look amazing slapping that bass.” She wet her lips, a wicked smile forming. “And Brianna, I know you have been dying to beat on those dr-“

 

  A hand covered her mouth, and a chin rested on her shoulder.

 

“Don’t you dare.” Norton growled in her ear. “You are an evil litt- Ooooh, you know I like it when you bite me ba- Ewwwww! Don’t lick me!”

 

  He pulled away with a laugh, and she pointed towards the table along the wall.

 

“Hand sanitizer.” She grinned. “Bring me the bottle to gargle with?”

 

  Rob held up his beer, and she took it with a smirk.

 

“Even better. Alcohol kills germs, right?” she took a swig and handed it back. “Now, Miss Hillary has been very patient. Are you boys ready to walk, or are the girls taking over the con?”

 

  She didn’t wait for a reply, she simply turned, walking to the door. Hillary hid a snicker behind her folder as Anna walked past her into the hall. She’d only made it a few steps when Rob grabbed her hand. He fell quickly into step beside her, leaning down to whisper.

 

“You are amazing.” He grinned, raising his voice. “Creation just might put you on the payroll. At the very least, you’re going to be talked about the rest of the con season.”

 

“She’ll need the extra money.” Norton huffed behind them. “I’m going to sue for mental anguish.”

 

  She laughed, blowing a kiss over her shoulder. Norton batted it away with a scowl, and Borja mimed catching it and holding it to his heart. Behind them, Rich was absorbed in whatever was currently on Billy’s phone screen. Hillary grinned as she made her way to the front of the pack, mouthing “marry me?” to Anna.


	13. Chapter 13

“Alright!” Brianna stood, hands on her hips. “You boys have kept Anna to yourselves long enough. It’s our turn!”

 

“What she means,” Kim smiled sweetly. “Is that the ladies are going to change and get done up for the concert.”

 

“Oh. I have to go get my bag from the car.” Anna glanced between the two, trying to determine if she should be afraid. “And if I’m going to the car, I should probably go ahead and move it to the hotel and walk back while I’m only one beer in… by the time I make it back, you’ll be rea-“

 

“You shouldn’t walk anywhere alone.” Rob frowned. “The car can stay here, or I can see if someone on staff will go with you.”

 

“Robby…”

 

“Not negotiable.” Rob shook his head, reaching for his phone. “House rules.”

 

  She looked around for backup and was met with only shrugs and nods. Rob stood suddenly, holding out his hand to her.

 

“Come on.” He smiled.

 

“Where are we going?” She took his hand and stood, falling into step with him as he crossed the room.

 

“Your car. Tom should be here any-“ He grinned as a young man appeared in the doorway. “Right on time! Tom is going to walk us to your car to get your things, and we’ll discuss where the car is staying tonight on the way.”

 

  When they stepped out into the parking lot, she gently pulled her hand away from his. He frowned, reaching for her again and stopping in his tracks when she pulled away.

 

“I’m sorry, sugar. I wasn’t trying to upset you.” He stepped in front of her, putting his hands on her shoulders. “It’s just the house rules. After Minnesota…”

 

“Robby.” She held up a hand to stop him. “I understand. I remember when Misha was mugged.”

 

“Then what did I do?”

 

“Nothing.” She smiled softly, shaking her head.

 

“Then why…?”

 

“Because we’re not in the green room, Robby. We’re in the wild now. And I don’t want to be defending myself and explaining this-” She gestured between them. “on Twitter before you and I have even had a chance to sit down and define what _this_ is.”

 

  He pulled her close, pressing his lips to her forehead. She let her hands rest gently on his hips and sighed. When she looked up at him, he smiled.

 

“You really don’t think I’m that famous do you?” He chuckled. “Promise that TMZ is not going to pop out of the bushes.”

 

“We’re not in L.A.” Anna frowned, pulling away from him and gesturing behind her. “We are in Rosemont, outside a building that is packed with people who know your face because it is the one they see the most of on weekends like this. They literally call you God.”

 

“I prefer Chuck.” He reached for her hand again.

 

“To them, it’s the same thing.” She crossed her arms beneath her chest, frowning at his amusement. “It’s all fun and games until half the questions at the R2M panel are about the mysterious redhead and Rich decides to do some improv.”

 

  He laughed, pulling her into his arms again and kissing her hair. When she scowled at him, he kissed the crease between her brows, then her lips softly.

 

“I promise you, all will be fine.” He moved one hand up to tuck her hair behind her ear. “Our fans are not that bad. And Matt would help keep Rich from getting too creative.”

 

“How?” Anna rolled her eyes. “By taking off his shirt so the screaming overpowers Rich’s mic?”

 

“That’s better than any plan I had.” Rob grinned at her again.

 

  Anna glanced over at the obviously uncomfortable handler. Tom was likely standing as far from Rob as he was allowed to in his contract. He was turned to the side, keeping his charge in his peripheral vision, without actually having to watch him, looking very much like he wished a sinkhole would open beneath him.

 

“Let’s just agree on no PDAs in the wild for now.” She gently pushed on his chest. “Don’t give me that look, darlin’. You know I am right. You don’t want to be explaining this on stage tomorrow. Come on, you and Tom have better things to do than stand in this parking lot.”

 

  He stared at her for a moment, worrying his bottom lip between his teeth. She dropped her eyes to his chest, resisting the urge to kiss the frown off his face. When she pushed him again, he released her. As she stepped around him to continue on their journey, he started to reach for her hand, then awkwardly shoved his hands in his pockets.

 

  They were on the way back from the car, her duffle bag on Rob’s shoulder at his insistence, when she spotted a small cluster of girls. Even if the Louden Swain t-shirts hadn’t given them away, the way they were looking at him and whispering would have. Tom was already mumbling into his walkie when she nudged Rob. Moments later, another Creation employee emerged from the building, just standing by the door, waiting.

 

  Anna held up a hand. Rob gave her a questioning glance.

 

“The bag.” She smiled. “You don’t want it in the selfies I know they, and you, are dying to take. I’ll be by the door.”

 

  He gave her a grin, handing her the bag. She moved quickly to the door, leaning against the wall and nodding to the burly man beside her.

 

“He’s got 10 minutes to get back. 15 if he wants to run to the stage.” She grinned as he relayed the info to Tom via his walkie.

 

  She smiled watching Rob with his fans. He was all smiles, giving them each a hug, taking selfies. He glanced over at her a few times, as if expecting her to bolt. When she pointed at her wrist, he nodded, turning back to the girls with an apologetic smile. He gave them a wave and jogged towards the door. She couldn’t help thinking he looked like an excited puppy, slipping inside the building before he reached it.

 

  She was waiting in the hall when he hurried in the door, the handlers close behind. He gave her a concerned look as he approached.

 

“You ran off.” He frowned, settling his hands on her hips and kissing her hair. “Why?”

 

“Because you might have done that out there if I didn’t.” she grinned. “Come on, you have to work. And I have to face the coven.”

 

  He laughed, taking her bag and slipping his free arm around her waist.

 

“They aren’t going to hurt you.” He smiled as they headed back. “They are just trying to include you, get to know you.”

 

  They rounded the corner and found Hillary leading Rich and the rest of the band out of the green room.

 

“Perfect timing.” She smiled.

 

“Matt thought he’d have to be Rob for a minute.” Rich grinned. “You’ve crushed his dreams.”

 

“Got caught by a group of fans.” Rob shrugged. “Stopped to take a few selfies.”

 

  When she reached for her bag, Rob grabbed her hand and held it for a moment, leaning in to give her a kiss.

 

“Have fun with the girls, sugar.” He winked at her before releasing her and the duffle to head towards the stage.


	14. Chapter 14

  Looking herself over in the mirror, Anna suddenly felt inadequate. This was her “power” outfit. Her top was sleeveless, scoop-necked, and a deep shade of blue that always looked amazing on her. Her jeans were a dark wash, with rhinestone butterflies on the back pockets. The low-heeled boots were simple, but always made her feel badass. Slipping the long silver chain over her head, she positioned the little acoustic guitar just below her chest, making sure it was flipped around the right way.

 

  Smiling softly, she remembered the little secondhand shop where Rob bought it. She’d been working in Memphis, and drove up to Nashville to see him after the convention ended on Sunday. Monday morning, they’d decided to wander the city for a while before they both had to head home.

 

_“This one is screaming your name.” Rob had smiled brightly, pulling a necklace from a rack and holding it up to her shirt._

_“But I don’t play!” She’d laughed, trying not to blush at the way he looked her over._

_“Then I’ll have to teach you.” His eyes had flickered back to hers. “Besides, you don’t have to play in order to wear it. No one is going to whip out a guitar and demand a concert.”_

_“I’m sure I’ll get lots of compliments from the mechanics.” She’d chuckled, shaking her head. “It isn’t exactly garage material, Robby.”_

_“You can wear it to one of my shows.” He’d winked at her. “If I can ever sweet talk you into attending one. You’ve never seen me on stage.”_

_“I have too!” She scoffed, moving to look at earrings._

_“YouTube and StageIt don’t count!” He’d rolled his eyes. “You’ve never felt the raw energy of a show. I can’t describe it.”_

_“I think it’s called lust.” Anna had winked at him._

_“What?” He’d squeaked._

_“All those fans drooling over you boys.” She’d shot him a sideways glance. “And you and Billy taunting them with the way you move up there.”_

_She’d regretted the words the moment they left her mouth. Rob’s face had lit up, brows raised, and a wicked little grin on his lips. She was saved from his reply by someone calling his name. A writer from one of the fan blogs, with questions about setting up band interviews. After brief introductions, Anna had excused herself to look at a camera in a display case._

_As she was mentally debating if the amount she would save by buying used would justify making the purchase, she heard Rob’s voice moving closer. The girl he was with was eyeing Anna curiously as they approached, but kept any questions to herself as the goodbyes were said. Rob had leaned his hip against the counter, smiling._

_“Buy it.” He’d nodded to the camera. “Just because you’re going to play secretary for your brother for a while, doesn’t mean you have to give up your passion. The baby will be here before you know it, Dee will be back to work, and you will be back to your camera. No reason to let yourself get rusty.”_

_After a bit of cajoling, she laid the camera down at the register. As she was digging in her purse for her wallet, she heard the credit card machine beep. She’d looked up just in time to see Rob pull his card out of the chip reader with a grin. He’d taken the receipt, and the bag, and rested his hand in the small of her back._

_“I’m starving!” He’d smiled as he led her out. “Wanna try that little diner we passed on the way in?”_

_“Rob, you can’t jus-“_

_“Too late, I already did.” He’d grinned, stopping on the sidewalk. “Oh! Before I forget…”_

_“Robby…”_

_“Nope.” He’d shushed her, pulling the necklace from the bag and carefully removing the tag. As he slipped it over her head, he smiled. “Perfect.”_

 

  She gave herself another once over. The top hugged all of her curves, which normally made her feel sexy. When she thought about the women just outside the door in the green room they had taken over, she wondered if it hugged all the wrong curves too. As she was entertaining the thought of just ducking out and heading to the hotel room, someone knocked.

 

“There are no windows to sneak out of, so I know you’re still in there.” Briana called through the door. “You can’t hide from us forever!”

 

“Sweetie, I’m sure you look great.” Kim chimed in. “Victoria will be here in a bit, if you want some war paint to boost your confidence.”

 

“We have alcohol.” Ruth grinned as Anna opened the door. “Magic words, ladies.”

 

  The women shared a smirk when Anna rolled her eyes, moving to her duffel.

 

“I was just making sure my shirt wasn’t tucked into my underwear or anything mortifying.” Anna lied, pulling a jacket from her bag.

 

“Woah!” Briana grabbed her arm. “What are you doing?”

 

“Putting on a jacket?” Anna tilted her head.

 

“You’ll roast out there.” Kim shook her head. “And you look great without it.”

 

“I’m not going to be on stage.” Anna shrugged. “I’m not sure why I needed to dress up for the green room anyway.”

 

“Because you won’t be back there the whole time.” Briana smirked. “At the very least, your happy little ass is going to be out there with us, holding a light for ‘She Waits’.”

 

"Resistance is futile." Rachel smirked. "They even drag me out there sometimes." 

 

“Billy might have to tackle Rob to keep him on the stage when he sees her.” Ruth teased, pouring Anna a glass of wine.

 

“Since you brought it up.” Briana dragged Anna to sit beside her on the couch. “You and Rob shackin’ up now?”

 

“What she means is, you and Rob seem to be getting pretty serious.” Kim settled across the table from her. “Are you planning on making the move to L.A.? Or are you guys going to try splitting between here and there? His schedule is pretty packed.”

 

“Geeze!” Anna looked between them, wide-eyed. “It’s a little early to be picking out wedding dresses, isn’t it?”

 

“Come on, honey.” Briana rolled her eyes. “You’ve been together for what, a year?”

 

  Anna shook her head, cheeks flushing as realization set in.

 

“We’re…” Anna fidgeted with the guitar pendant. “I’m not even sure we’re ‘together’?”

 

“Wait, what? But… But.” Kim stammered.

 

“What the fuck?” Briana leaned forward to rest her elbows on her knees.

 

“But last night…?” Ruth raised a brow, sitting on the coffee table.

 

“Was Rob making his move?” Anna shrugged.

 

“Holy fucking shit!” Kim threw her hands up. “I guess Rob is go big or go home…”

 

“Wait.” Briana narrowed her eyes, looking Anna over. “So have you two even fu-“

 

“Briana!” Kim and Ruth shouted at the same time. Rachel simply laughed, moving her chair closer.

 

“What?” Briana huffed. “It’s an honest question! Think about it, it would explain all the super sweet puppy love crap today.”

 

  Anna groaned, covering her face as all eyes turned to her. She silently cursed Rob and Rich for dragging her into this mess. She was going to kill them both, and run away with Stephen. No other option at this point. She took a long drink of wine as Kim cleared her throat.

 

“Alright.” She said calmly. “We’re going to help you figure this out. But first, let’s start at the beginning. Tell us everything…”


End file.
